1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an operation-condition display system for a photographic processing system, and more particularly to an operation-condition display system for use in such a photographic processing system as includes an automatic film developing device for developing an exposed photographic film and a printing device for printing an image of the developed film on a photosensitive material such as a print paper.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, the automatic film developing device includes a display means which is operable to display operation conditions of the automatic film developing device.
The display means displays such information as concerning which processing step the film is presently experiencing, or concerning a temperature and an amount of developing liquid in use.
In use, an operator of this automatic film developing device appropriately judges and confirms, through the display means of the automatic film developing device, whether a new film developing process is possible or not or whether any abnormality has developed in the temperature or amount of the developing liquid or not. Then, depending on the necessity, the operator effects a film exchange or some other maintenance operation.
On the other hand, the photographic processing system of the above-described type is to be normally operated by a single operator. And, for setting of particular printing conditions with respect to the print paper in use, the operator usually has to devote most of his/her operation time for the photographic processing to the operations of the printing device.
Accordingly, when necessary, the operator has to interrupt the operation of the printing device and then to move to the location where the automatic film developing device is installed, so as to check the operation condition displayed on the display means of this automatic film developing device.
With the conventional system construction, even if the automatic film developing device is installed in the vicinity of the printing device, the operator has to interrupt the operation of the printing device and then to move to the location of the developing device for the sole purpose of checking the operation condition of the developing device, rather than actually operating this automatic film developing device. Accordingly, the operation efficiency of the photographic processing is deteriorated.
Moreover, in many actual situations, it is impossible to reserve a good amount of inter-installing space between these devices, so that the automatic film developing device and the printing device are necessarily disposed rather distantly from each other. Then, in such case, the above-described inconvenience becomes more obvious.
The present invention attends to the above-described state of the art and its primary object is to improve the operation efficiency of the photographic processing system.